A comfortable retirement

At Accountancy Group we have helped many individuals in the London area to plan for a comfortable retirement. Here we consider some key strategies to help with your retirement planning, but please contact us for advice tailored to your circumstances.

Following a series of changes to the pensions regime, there are now more choices available to individuals when it comes to using the money they have saved for retirement. However, if you want to make the most of these options, it is vital that you have put aside sufficient funds during your working life, and that you take the appropriate advice.

While retirement may not currently be high on your priority list, many individuals still risk facing a pensions shortfall and you should take steps now to ensure that you will have the freedom and the means to achieve a comfortable retirement when the time comes. You could spend a third of your life as a retired person, and by taking action now, you can help to make this period as financially secure as possible.

First steps

Your retirement planning strategy will be determined by a number of factors, including your age and the number of years before retirement. However, there are some other key issues to consider:

Do you have an employer pension scheme?

Are you self-employed?

How much can you invest for your retirement?

How much State Pension will you receive?

Individuals who reached State Pension age after 5 April 2016 receive a flat-rate pension, worth £159.55 per week where they have at least 35 years of national insurance contributions or credits.

Those who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 will continue to claim their basic State Pension (plus any additional state pension that they may be entitled to). The basic State Pension in 2017/18 is £122.30 a week.

To receive a State Pension forecast phone the Future Pension Centre on 0345 3000 168.

Employer pension schemes

There are two kinds of employer pension scheme, into which you and your employer may make contributions. A defined benefit scheme pays a retirement income related to the amount of your earnings, while a defined contribution scheme instead reflects the amount invested and the underlying investment fund performance. In both cases, you will have access to tax-free cash as well as to the actual pension.

The impact of the stock market downturn in the 2000s was one key factor that resulted in many final salary schemes being underfunded and a decision was taken by many firms to close such defined benefit schemes. Many experts consider that this type of scheme will cease to exist over the next few years. Where firms do provide employer pensions these are now almost always defined contribution schemes.

The amount of personal contributions that can qualify for tax relief is limited to the greater of £3,600 and total UK relevant earnings, subject to scheme rules.

Pensions auto-enrolment

In order to encourage more people to save for their retirement, the government has been gradually phasing in compulsory workplace pensions for eligible workers. Under the scheme, all employers will have to enrol automatically all eligible workers into a qualifying pension scheme. There will ultimately be a minimum overall contribution rate of 8% of each employee's qualifying earnings, of which at least 3% must come from the employer. The balance is made up of employees' contributions and associated tax relief.

Personal pensions

Relying on the State Pension will not be adequate for a comfortable retirement, so if you are not in a good employer scheme, you should make your own arrangements.

To qualify for income tax relief, investments in personal pensions are limited to the greater of £3,600 and the amount of your UK relevant earnings, but subject also to the annual allowance. The annual allowance is £40,000 but this is tapered for individuals who have both income over £110,000 and adjusted annual income (their income plus their own and employer's pension contributions) over £150,000. For every £2 of adjusted income over £150,000, an individual's annual allowance will be reduced by £1, down to a minimum of £10,000.

Where pension savings in any of the last three years' pension input periods (PIPs) were less than the annual allowance, the 'unused relief' is brought forward, but you must have been a pension scheme member during a tax year to bring forward unused relief from that year. The unused relief for any particular year must be used within three years.

Case Study

Seth has not made any contribution into his pension policy so far in 2017/18.

Seth has unused annual allowances of £30,000 from 2014/15, £5,000 from 2015/16 and £20,000 from 2016/17 (total £55,000). Seth's income is less than £110,000.

Seth's maximum pension investment is therefore set at £95,000 (£40,000 plus £55,000) for his 2017/18 PIP. He needs to make a pension contribution of £70,000 (current year allowance £40,000 and £30,000 unused relief from 2014/15) in order to avoid the loss of the relief brought forward from 2014/15.

If contributions are paid in excess of the annual allowance, a charge - the annual allowance charge - is payable. The effect of the annual allowance charge is to claw back all tax relief on premiums in excess of the maximum. Where the charge exceeds £2,000, arrangements can be made for the charge to be paid by the pension trustees and recovered by adjustment to policy benefits.

Tax relief on personal pension policies

Premiums on personal pension policies are payable net of basic rate tax relief at source, with any appropriate higher or additional rate relief usually being claimed via the PAYE code or self assessment Tax Return.

Case Study

Colette will earn £60,000 in 2017/18. She will invest £12,500 into her personal pension policy. She is entitled to the basic personal allowance and has no other income.

Colette will pay her pension provider a premium, net of basic rate tax relief of £10,000. She is also entitled to higher rate tax relief on the gross premium, amounting to £2,500.

As Colette is an employee, we can ask HMRC to give the relief through her PAYE code. Otherwise, we would claim in Colette's 2018 Tax Return. Thus the net cost to Colette of a £12,500 contribution to her pension policy is just £7,500.

The lifetime allowance

Where total pension savings exceed the £1m lifetime allowance at retirement (and fixed, primary or enhanced protection is not available) a tax charge arises:

Tax charge
(excess paid as annuity)

Tax charge
(excess paid as lump sum)

25% on excess value, then up to 45% on annuity

55% on excess value

The lifetime allowance was £1.25m in 2015/16. If appropriate, you can still apply to HMRC for protection from the reduction to £1m.

Access to personal pension funds

Taxpayers have the option of taking a tax-free lump sum of 25% of the fund value and purchasing an annuity with the remaining fund, or opting for income drawdown which offers further flexibility in how the fund is used.

An annuity is taxable income in the year of receipt. Similarly any monies received from the income drawdown fund are taxable income in the year of receipt.

Taxpayers have total freedom to access a pension fund from the age of 55. Access to the fund may be achieved in one of two ways:

allocation of a pension fund (or part of a pension fund) into a 'flexi-access drawdown account' from which any amount can be taken, over whatever period the person decides

taking a single or series of lump sums from a pension fund (known as an 'uncrystallised funds pension lump sum').

When an allocation of funds into a flexi-access account is made the member typically will take the opportunity of taking a tax-free lump sum from the fund.

The person will then decide how much or how little to take from the flexi-access account. Any amounts that are taken will count as taxable income in the year of receipt.

Access to some or all of a pension fund without first allocating to a flexi-access account can be achieved by taking an uncrystallised funds pension lump sum.

The tax effect will be:

25% is tax-free

the remainder is taxable as income.

Downsizing and equity release

Although they might not suit everyone, there are at least two ways to boost your retirement finances through your home. The first option is down-sizing - selling your current home and buying something cheaper, to release value tied up in your property for other purposes. 'Equity release' might be an alternative approach. However, you should discuss all of the implications with us and your other financial advisers before deciding whether this is a suitable avenue to take.

Your next steps: contact us to discuss…

Calculating how much you need to save to ensure you enjoy a comfortable retirement

Tax-advantaged saving for your pension

Saving in parallel to provide more readily accessible funds

Saving in employer and personal pension schemes

Using your business to help fund your retirement

Releasing capital now tied up in your home to help fund your retirement

If you are in the London area and would like advice on personal tax planning strategies, please contact Accountancy Group.